Tire-armor.



A. G. THOMSON.

TIRE ARMOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1908.

950,417. Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

WITNESSES [Z INVENTOR rnvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR GALE THOMSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF 6NE-HALZE To annnnr'sur'ron, or SAN rnancrsco, camronmn.

TIBE-ARMOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 22, 1910." Application filed August 5, 1998. Serial No. 447,031.

To all whom it may concern:. a it will not require attachment to thewheel 55 7 the tire.

Be known that I, ARTHUR GALE T11011- soN, cltizen of England, residingin the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tire-Armor, of-which the followlng 1s a specification.

This invention relates to a protective and ient qualities-utilized to the fullest extent,

and permit the greatest benefit to be de rived from the use of such tires, must be able.

to expand and flatten, more orless, as it comes in contact with the ground. For instance, each pneumatic tire of an average automobile wheel is obliged to sustain a weight of half a ton. more or less. An inflated tire of a heavy machine will have an area of contact with theground which is approximately eight inches, more or less, in length, and three to four inches in width. This flattening out of the tire necessarily results in a constant change in the cross-section'of the tire due to the pushing in of the tread toward thewheel rim and its subse quentexpansion, and the'consequent alternate lateral distention and contraction of Experience has also shown that any form of rigid armor placed upon the tire which does not provide for this constant change in the cross-section of the tire destroys the real cushion benefits which the use of the pneumatic tire is primarily designed to secure.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple,..practical, metallic covering for pneumatic tires composed of a series of overlapping inelastic plates of peculiar formwhich will permit of the lateral distention of the tire, thereby utilizing to a maximum degree the elastic and resilient pro erties of the pneumatic tire; also to so esignand connect these metalhc plates as to avoid flexure, and to permit;independent relative movement of the tire and the armor, whereby the armoradapts itself to the tire; alsoto'mount the armor so that scale. The several exterior rim, but will be capable of independent circumferential movement; and also to provide an armor whereby additional adhesion and traction will be obtained.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination ofparts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, 111 which-'- Figurel 1s a side elevation in partial sec- 5 tion of a segment of a wheel, showing the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the irregular line X-X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 1s a detail of the means for connecting the ends of a ring. Fig. 4 is a as provided .with the inner tube 2 and se- 80,

cured to a rim 3 in any suitable manner well knownun the art.

My invention comprehends the use of a series of overlapping, preferably inelastic plates or scales 4. These scales exmetal tend clrcumferentially around the tire and are held in place by suitable means, as the rings 5 enga ing the loops 6 formed by bending outwardly the edges of the scale sections on each side of the tire.. Each scale is substantially U-shape in cross-section and is essentially wider .than the two when the same is inflated and notin contact with the ground, as shown in Fig. 2.. Each plate has substantially triangular side members, 215,3 2

shown in F 1g. 1, with the contracted portion of-the side awn in and the end bent out wardly to form the loop 6; each loop; and

each plate, except where the latter bearsdi rectly 0nthe'overlapping plate, being out of contact with each other, so as to.prevent'- noise as the wheel travels over the ground Each plate orscale is made on two dif- I terent radii; the portion 7 of greater radius being the. actual tread Iportion of the tire, e

while the portion 8 '.of sser, radius' fits side of the portion 1! of the next succeeding.

Fig fi is a pers ective of the spring 75 mally have their outer surfaces which run I on the ground lying in the plane ofa true circle; and similarly, the inner surfaces of ;tlie innerpportions Sagainst which the tire bears lie in the plane of a circle concentric with the first. The plates when assembled on the wheel are arranged with outer open spaces 9 between them, and with intervenim'g inner spaces 10, whereby a limited circumferential movement of each plate, independent of the others, is permitted; the walls of the spaces 10 being rounded so as not to pinch or abrade the tire in any way. It is equivalent springs 40 venting their-creeping toward each other; but actual practice shows that these springsto use a rigid metal scale or protective plate found in -practice that by placing these scales or plates on a wheel and spacing them apart, engagingthem by the freely movable ring 5 and then pumping up the tire, the plates will practically maintain their relative position with the loop portions 6 a uniform distance apart, and the spaces 9 and 10. normally open. These open spaces 9 and .10 permit of the necessary telescoping sliding action of one late on the other as they come in contact with the ground, the plates crowding slightly together asthey strike the ground, and then opening; out to their normal original-position as they leave the ground and once more assume the curvature of the wheel. 'The, spacesor grooves 9 have the additional function of providing a corrugated exteriorv to assist in traction and avoid skidding. In actual practice there areabout four of these plates'always in 'contact with the ground, and when they arein contact their outer'tread surfaces 7 lie in a flat plane substantially. parallel with the ground, as represented'in Fig. 5.

If desired, suitable means, as U-shapedor 11, may be interposed between the plates for the purposeof we are not usually necessary. The springs as here shown are U-shaped and 'fit in transverse notches in the lugs 6 and, inside of the .ring 5 so as not tointerfere with the inde pendent rotative movement of the latter.

The extra width of the scales wlth respect to the tire, as shown in Fig. 2, permits any I the tire to be distended and as some practically the dotted line posltion:

portion of represented in Fig. 2 whenever the scales covering that portionof the tire rest on the f ground. Thus each time a' plate comesin contact with the ground'its interior is substantially filled by the tire, and in this distention of the tire the plates are centered so that the tire practically always fits centrally of the plates or sections, as represented in Fig. 2.

I have found in practice, that if'I attempt -which willjust -fit thetire when the latter is not resting on the ground, that I have the lateral edges of the plates,

destroyed, in fact, much of the resilient quality of the tire. I have also found that the ring 5 should be free to' rotate independent both of the wheel and of the armor sections or scales, because in actual practice this ring will rotate in a direction opposite to the direction of revolution of the wheel, and the pulling force exerted upon the ring 1s very great. It is therefore that I prefer to form each ring with outwardly bent ends,

as shown in' Fig. 3,. which ends are embraced by a clamp, as 13 in. Fig. 4, and secured in placeby suitable means, .as the clamp screw 12.

It will thus maintained on the wheel independent of any ,connections with the rim or spokes; that the slight circumferential movement of the armor sections one upon the other enables the armor to assume at the bottom a flattened bearing surface on the road-becl corresponding to the surface assumed by the tire-itself; and that 'the double curves of the telescoping sections form a practically continuous, fiat'bearing surface for the tire,

and at the-"same time a corrugated exterior r distention. In order to render. the o eratlon of the ,sectlons as noiseless as possib e, I may, under some circumstances, interpose fiber bushings,

as 14, m the bottom of the grooves to form a seat for the ring 5; these bushings having projections 15 or. equivalent means fitting perforations in" the loops to keep the bushings in place- A Each section as it comes in contact with the ground will pivot on the rings 5, and each section edge of 1ts companion sections, as shown 111 ill also pivot overthe front Fig. 5, thereby tendin always to exclude the dirt and vdustfrom etween the tread of the sections. I

It is possible that various changes may be" made n the details of the invention Without departing from the principle thereof, and'l do notwish to greater than the normal width of the tire to permit lateral distention of the latter, and means for holding the plates incircumferential position on the tire, said last-named means comprising rings engaging loopson said rings having a free rotative movement in said loops independentof the plates. the inner ends of the plates being spaced from each other, and resrlientgnembers interposedbebe seen that this armor is is provided to add to the tractive force of the wheel; while the making of'the sections wider than the tire allows o tween the separated inner ends of the plates: adapted to prevent the plates creeping toward each other. I 2. The combination wlth a vehicle tire, of

an articulated armor therefor comprising a series of rigid metallic sections substantially U-shape in eross section, said sections formed with two different radii, the portion of a section of lesser radius fitting within a portion of greater radius of a succeeding sec-- tion, sa d sections having thelr mner ends spaced from each other, resilient connections spanning the'jspace fbetween the separated ends of adjacent sections and forming a eon-.

nection therebetween, said sections having a limited sliding movement one on the other circumferentially of the wheel, said sect-ions havingreduced lateraledges, and rings dis,

connected with the wheel engaging said reduced edges, said rings free to rotate independently of the armor and wheel.

3.. The combination with ayehicle tire, of

an articulated armor therefor comprising a series of rigid metallic sections substantially U-shape injcross-section, said sections formed with 7 two different radii, the portion of a sectionof lesser radius fitting within a portionof greater radius of a succeeding section, said sections having their inner ends spaced from each other, and inverted U-shaped springs's annin the space between the se a-.

in" a limited sliding movement one on the ot er circumferentially of the wheel, said sect-ions having reduced lateral edges, and rings, disconnected with the wheel engaging said reduced edges, saidrings free to rotate independently of the armor and wheel, and said sections being formed rigid and of greater width than the normal width of the tire to permit of the distention of the latter. 4. A protective armor for vehicle tires comprising a series of metallic sections substantially U-shaped in cross section, said sections having'outwardly bent open loops on their lateral edges, rings over which said loops freely pass to form sliding guides for the sections, resilient connections between the adjacent inner ends of the sections, and fiber bushings seating within said loops and en gaging said ring s.

In'testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ARTHUR GALE THOMSON.

Witnesses CHARLES A. PENFIELD, HENRY P. TRICOU. 

